Monday, November 1, 2010

Biggest migration flight in a decade!

I haven't posted here in a few days because I have been very busy with working and getting out to get some photos. This past weekend was especially great because we had the biggest migration fallout in a decade! The streets were literally carpeted with sparrows, yellow-rumped warblers, woodcock, etc. It took me 4 times longer to get to work because I had to drive no more then 20mph to avoid hitting the birds. There were many causalities, but luckily it is no longer tourist season here, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Everywhere you looked the trees and shrubs were just covered in birds trying to frantically feed so they could continue their journey south. Some birds were so exhausted that it was possible to just pick them up. The raptors all had very large crops...so full that they could barely see past them! They were treating the huge songbird fallout like a never-ending buffet. Here are some highlights from the weekend.

Great Black-Backed Gull eating an American Coot he killed

Partially albino Red-Tail Hawk

Yellow-Rumped Warbler looking for berries and insects

The flocks of Tree Swallows were huge!

Ruby-Crowned Kinglets are very curious

Flock of American Coots

Exhausted Yellow-Rumped Warbler that I ended up picking up off the sidewalk and placing somewhere safer.